Breaking Through the Boundaries
by Ainariel-Helyanwe
Summary: Perhaps what brought them together was the fact that to everyone around them that they cared about, it didn't make any sense at all. Maybe it didn't have to. DG & some RHr. Please read and review.
1. Ginny

Okay , I decided to rewrite my story so the characters are more like themselves (thanks for pointing that out to me Kav)

Summary: Ginny and Draco never got along. But somehow in Draco's final year at Hogwarts that all changes. Going against all his father taught him, Draco tries to make Ginny his. D/G some RHr. R&R!

Something's Gotta Give - Chapter One- Ginny

* * *

Ginny Weasley was an average 16 year old girl with average grades and an average life. Well, it was average for a witch.

It was the day before the new school year started for Hogwarts. Ginny was going into her 6th year at Hogwarts while your older brother Ron and his friends were going into his 7th.

Finally, it was the last year Ginny would be at school along with the rest of the "Golden Trio", comprised of Ginny's prat of an older brother, Hermione Granger, and Voldemort's Chosen One himself.

Ginny had waited what seemed like forever for them to graduate. Maybe, just maybe, once they were gone, no one would call her "Ron's little sister" anymore.

"Ginny!" her mother's voice shrieked up the stairs. "Time to go!"

Ginny sighed, picked up an ordinary Muggle notebook and the handle to her unbelievably heavy trunk. Dragging it out of the room and down the stairs, she made her way outside.

"Finally Ginny." Ron said stuffily. "We've been waiting, like, an hour."

"Shut up, Ron." Ginny replied. "You weren't even awake an hour ago. The only reason you're ready early is because Mum packed your bags." Ron, taken aback, stormed away silently.

Just like every year, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny went to King's Cross Station, walked through the barrier to platform 9 3/4 and got on the Hogwarts Express. Here they would go find their friends, then meet up again in the compartment on the train.

While the Terrific Three sat and talked about their summer, Ginny sat looking out the window wondering how different this year was going to be, and hoping, like she did always, that it would be NOTHING like her first year. That would be _all_she needed, another fun meeting with evil.

'Helped Dark Lord return to power' would look bloody stunning on her resume.

This train ride was no different than it had been the five years prior. Within a half-hour of the ride, Malfoy and his minions stalked in, as was their custom.

"Hey Potter, how's that scar?" Malfoy smirked. Ginny frowned, and waited for Harry to answer. When he didn't, Malfoy continued. "How's your good old pal Voldemort? Huh?"

Well then. Ginny would be damned if she had to become reacquainted with Voldemort's name this early into the year. And anyway, Harry didn't seemed to be fending for himself very much on his own, so Ginny, being the Gryffindor she was, was seized by an impulse of loyalty to her house and stood quickly.

Ginny stood up, "Bloody step off, Malfoy," she demanded as she pushed him.

Malfoy looked surprised, but he adjusted relatively quickly, she had to admit. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do then?"

Ginny played the ultimate trump card she possessed.

"I would like to know," she began sweetly, "how it feels to know that your father is STILL in prison. Didn't you say he would get out somehow?" she smirked at him, in a almost perfect imitation of his sneer. "And it seems you don't call him the "Dark Lord" anymore. Not worried your father will hear anymore? I can see why. I guess it's pretty hard to keep tabs on your kids when you're under _high-security clearance _in Askaban. Wouldn't you agree?"

Malfoy tried vainly to respond, but the rapid pinking of his ears and his open-mouthed gaze indicated that no words would come.

Choosing instead to retreat, Malfoy got up and walked out, with Crabbe and Goyle trailing him. Ginny sat back down in her seat, and turned to see the trio staring at her.

"What?" she demanded? When none of them answered, she smirked. "He pisses me off!"

She smiled, and continued to stare out the window.

* * *

I think they are more in character now. Let me know how you like it! REVIEW! I NEED REVIEWS!

Ainariel Helyanwe


	2. Draco

This chapter picks up were chapter one left off, but from dracos poitn of view (well duh they normally do that)

I tHiNk I lOvE yOu -Chapter 2 - Draco

Summary for this chapter:

_**Draco's ride on the hogwarts express to his last year at hogwarts . . . its kinda short**_

" How could she bring that subject up? Couldn't she tell how much it hurts me?" Draco thought angrily. People always told him that he was so much like his father when he was younger. Growing up he wanted to be just like him. That was up till his father was sent to Azkaban. After that happened Draco couldn't fall asleep. Every time he did, he would see himself getting locked away.

After his 6th year, when everyone would stare at him, expecting him to turn into his father. He hated it, so for his last year he decided to try to change. Weasley was making it impossible, though. Draco turned around and looked behind him. Crabbe and Goyle were the only people that stuck with him the whole time last year.

"Hey guys, go get some food," he said. Crabbe and Goyle smiled and lumbered off the find the food cart. "Idiots, they'll do anything for food," Draco said aloud as he opened the door to an empty compartment. He sat down and thought back to years ago.

_"Remember son, do not talk to any of those Weasleys. Don't touch any unless you're pushing them out of the way." Lucius Malfoy gripped his son's shoulder. "You know your place. Good luck."_

_Draco grinned at his father. "I'll make you proud," he promised, and walked toward the Hogwarts Express. The train that would take him to Hogwarts for his first of seven years there._

Draco shuddered as his father's voice rang through his head, he hated his father so very much now, why couldn't he see before how horrible his father was, he never cared about Draco, all he cared about was that Draco would someday take his place in the Wizarding world. Draco laid his head back on the seat and closed his eyes memories of his father ran through his head as he slept.

"Malfoy, you in there?" someone yelled through the door.

"Mentally? No, physically? Maybe," he replied, his head spinning with confusion. Who was talking to him?

"Stop being smart and open the damn door, we're at Hogwarts."

"GINNY! WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?"

Draco smirked, got up and opened the door.

"Oh nothing to worry about, Weasel, your sister was just whispering sweet nothings to me through the compartment door." Draco smirked, as he pushed past the irritated looking siblings, and walked off the train. 'So much for being nice.' he thought to himself as he headed off the train.

There we go, chapter 2 all done, thanks to Daftlilme and Americasweetie for reviewing, and to my incredibly hot and sexy (best) friend and beta reader Kav. (StArLiTeStArBrItE1) she's a good author, and you should read some of her stories!


	3. First Day Back

Ginny?" Ron looked at his sister's enraged face. Her face almost matched her hair, and her eyes looked like they could hold the fires of hell in them.

"Bloody git!" Ginny growled .She hated Malfoy.

"He goes out of his way to make my life a living-"

Ginny walked off and Ron didn't hear the last part of her sentence. He soon forgot about his sister though, when his two best friends joined him in the corridor of the train. Laughing, they walked off together. Ginny had run to of the "horseless" carriages and climbed in. Halfway through the ride she noticed someone else was in the carriage with her. Ha. The Ferret King himself. He didn't seem to notice her, rather sat, unmoving, on the opposite seat.

"I'm sorry about what I said before," Ginny said haltingly. When he didn't answer, she elaborated. "About your father," Ginny finished.

Draco didn't answer. Instead he let out a loud snore.

"I try to be nice, and I get ignored," Ginny hissed to herself, annoyed.

She didn't notice the furtive smile on the apparently not sleeping boy's face.

" Now you know," he said smugly. The carriage suddenly came to a halt, and the door swung open.

Draco smirked at Ginny, stood up and walked out of the carriage, leaving Ginny confused.

* * *

And let the feast begin!"

Food appeared on all the tables, and the students eagerly dug in.

Ginny, however, wasn't keen on the idea of eating. She couldn't help but think of what Malfoy had said to her earlier. "Now you know."?

What did that mean? Had he tried to be nice once? Ginny turned her head slightly to look behind her. "Ginny, what are you doing?" Hermione asked her friend. Ginny turned slightly red. "I thought someone throw something at me, like Malfoy or someone," she said quickly. Hermione shrugged at Ginny. "Well, it couldn't have been Malfoy, he left after the Sorting."

Ginny frowned "Oh."

A couple of minutes later Ginny got up, faked a yawn and walked out of the Great Hall. Not paying attention to where she was going, Ginny suddenly walked into someone, who let out a large "Oof."

"Can't stay away, huh, Weasley?" Draco Malfoy pushed her away from his body, but did not remove his hands from her shoulders immediately.

Ginny looked up right into Draco Malfoy' s silver eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked, imitating his trademark smirk. She pushed Malfoy back so hard that he stumbled and had to put out his hand to steady himself. Ginny turned on her heels and walked away. She was a girl, and she couldn't help but notice that Malfoy was well built, and had nice eyes. Smiling to herself she walked to the common room.

Draco stood watching Ginny's retreating back. She was little thing, maybe just over 5 feet, but she was stronger then she looked. He smirked to himself as he retreated to his common room. This year was going to be different.

_**

* * *

**_

_**I am going to try and update as much as i can, Florida was great, i didn't get as tan as i would have liked, but thats cause i got a surprise and went to Disney D sorry it's a little short :D oh well, u kno the drill, review update**_


	4. Interaction is Seduction at it's Best

The first day of classes went slow. It was almost too slow for Ginny.

Ginny didn't particularly care, but was putting up with Professor Binns droning on & on was no easy task. The only thing that kept her awake throughout History of Magic was the thought that the next class she had was lunch.

Once lunch came Ginny could go to the library and get a head start on her homework, and look up what it was on. The class was generally just copying down endless notes and Ginny frequently found herself struggling to focus.

She couldn't forget how he looked right into her eyes. It was as if he was trying to figure her out. _Ha. Good luck with that, Malfoy._

Walking out of her last class before lunch, Ginny saw Hermione walking swiftly ahead of her. Quickening her pace, she caught up with the older girl.

"Hey Hermione. I'm not gonna go to the Great Hall for lunch, so tell the others so Ron doesn't like freak out and start a search party. Okay?" Before Hermione could answer, Ginny was of at a full run toward the library.

"Looks like we just have a thing for running into each other. Don't we, Girl Weasel?"

The amusement in his voice incensed Ginny. Not bothering to look up, she attempted to slide past him. When he didn't acquiesce, Ginny shove harder against him and felt him move from the pressure. She stomped angrily past.

"Looks like someone's in a fit, aren't they?" came the taunting voice behind her.

"Bugger OFF, Malfoy," she growled, and with that she sprinted off, not exactly in the mood for any more verbal banter with the self-proclaimed Prince of Slytherin.

Less then a minute later she skidded to a stop in front of the library. Pushing open the doors, she hurried to a table in the corner. No one sat there, and no one would dare bug her lest they be castrated or, in the case they were female, severely bitch-slapped.

Most of the people who were usually at the library knew not to bug Ginny when she had a pile of books in front of her. For the few that didn't know, they got a small taste of her anger.

* * *

**In the Great Hall**

"So where's Gin, Ron?" Harry asked through a mouthful of food.

"What?" Ron wasn't terribly articulate.

"She's not here." Harry continued a little impatiently.

"WHAT?" Clearly Ron hadn't taken the news well.

"Swallow your food before talking, Ron," Hermione admonished.

Ron swallowed. "What do you mean Gin isn't here? She sits at the other end of the table, right?"

Harry looked to the other end of the table. Ginny's usual seat between Colin and her other friends was empty. "She's not there."

Hermione let this conversation go on for awhile before butting in.

"She went to the library. She told me 'cause she didn't want to you freak and start a search party. I get the idea she thinks you're a major pain or something. You _are_ kind of overprotective."

Hermione finished her spiel. Harry and Ron gaped just at her, before they regained their ability to speak.

"What?" Ron asked, beginning to turn a shade of his characteristic purple.

"WHAT does she think I am?"

"A major pain," Hermione answered, somewhat oblivious to her tactlessness. "You are kind of a head case sometimes."

Across the Great Hall Draco looked over at Ron. "Looks like the Barbarian is pissed about something." he commented to Goyle, who gave a grunting laugh.

"I better leave before the place explodes," he continued, eager to leave. Pansy and Blaise weren't here to talk to and he was bored. _They're probably shagging like rabbits somewhere in the dormitory, _he thought sardonically.

Goyle didn't answer. Draco rolled his eyes as he got up and walked out of the Great Hall. After the initial few minutes, nobody even noticed he had left.

Draco made his way to the library.

It the only place were no would bug him, and as little as he liked studying, he could use some solitude right now.

Those who were there when he was knew to leave him alone in little corner, and he enjoyed the power he had over them.

Once he entered the library, out of custom he walked to his corner and sat down. It took him a while to figure out that some one else was sitting with him. The first thing he noticed was long blinding, (yet not altogether unpleasant) red hair.

It took while for his brain to register what he just thought, and who the person was. "You are in my seat, Weasel." he hissed.

Ginny looked up and almost jumped to see Draco Malfoy sitting in front of her. "Your seat?" she challenged.

"Yes," Draco said magnanimously. "So you can run along and play little games with your Gryffindor friends. Goodbye." There, he thought, that was relatively pleasant, wasn't it?

She looked over the chair. "I don't see your name on it," she said with a smirk. Draco's head shot up. Was she laughing at him?

It certainly looked like it. Her eyes were bright, and they sparkled with mirth.

"Your name isn't on it," he said, leaning over the table closer to her and fixing his half-lidded eyes on her

Ginny looked into his eyes. They were very nice eyes, she had to admit. They looked like the ocean that the Weasleys had visited in the South of France after a storm, yet in the light, they looked almost silver.

"For you information, my name is on this chair." she grinned at him, as she flipped the chair over. On the bottom, carved into the wood read: "Ginevra Rose Weasley."

Draco laughed. Ginny was bit surprised, but tried not to look too shocked.

The only thing even remotely close to a smile from Malfoy that she had seen on his face was a smirk, and those usually were designed to intimidate.

"Looks like the big bad Malfoy knows how to laugh, huh?" Ginny asked, snickering but blushing despite himself. He was kind of cute when he smiled.

Draco cocked his head and looked at her and his eyes grew cold. The smile was gone as suddenly as it had come.

_She doesn't even break eye contact, like most people do under my gaze._

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked neutrally, but Ginny could detect an icy undertone.

Ginny returned his glare. It was back to square one, apparently.

"Usually your too cold-hearted and so sure of your self that you are the most intimidating person in Hogwarts. People fear you." She looked at him squarely in the eye. "And I don't mean that in a good way."

Draco just looked at her strangely. He opened his mouth to insult her, then shut it quickly.

"Run out of insults Draco?" Ginny asked tauntingly sneering despite herself.

She didn't know how he did it and likely wouldn't ever know, but before she could move she was trapped between the bookshelf and Malfoy's unsettlingly close body.

"You act so bold around me," he murmured silkily. "Are you really that bold? Do you really think that I wouldn't be able to kill you if provoked?"

Ginny's throat constricted, and the bottom fell out of her world. "I'm not afraid of you," she choked out, paralyzed with terror by the likeness of this situation to her interaction with Tom Riddle years ago.

"Then you're a fool, Weasley. You should be."

He assumed a seemingly casual position, placing a hand next to her neck and leaning on it, but the close proximity still intimidated Ginny beyond belief.

He smirked deliciously at her, and Ginny, despite herself, felt a pang of latent desire course through her before she willed herself to stop.

"You're growing up, Weasley." He tugged on one of her red curls and his mouth slashed into a grin.

He moved himself a little bit closer. Ginny was helpless to resist, and knew that she couldn't deny that a part of her enjoyed his nearness.

His lips were nearly upon hers now, but he stopped himself just inches away.

Ginny's questioning eyes fixated upon his, and she saw him grin.

"I could kiss you right now," he said, his voice dropping an octave to a delicious growl. "I could kiss you, and you'd like it." And then he grinned at her. "But I won't. Not just yet."

And with that, he turned and swept out of the library, leaving a shaken and unsatisfied Ginny behind him.

In a twisted sort of stupor, Ginny went through the remaining classes of the day, preoccupied by the events that occurred in the library. She was left a little scared, and as much as she hated to admit it, with a newfound crush on the sarcastic Slytherin.

That night, as Ginny attempted to sleep, she found it harder than she thought. Her mind was still filled with thoughts of Malfoy's breath of her face as he leaned in closer.

Slowly, and not without a trace of giddiness, she slipped off to sleep.

Next Morning-

Ginny was awakened to an owl pecking her arm.

"Ow." Ginny pulled her arm away and shoved the unruly bird away. Refusing to be spurned, it repeatedly pecked her until she finally got up and retrieved the note from its beak.

It took a while for her eyes to adjust, but soon she could see the owl clearly. It was one of those fancy eagle owls that only seriously rich people could afford.

'Malfoy' Ginny thought. Ginny untied the scroll and read the letter eagerly.

_Weasel-  
Meet me today. Same place, same time.  
-DM_

Ginny wrote a terse response, confirming she would be there and tied it back on the owl's leg.

"Give it to him at breakfast," she instructed the owl firmly. Ginny could have sworn the owl nodded before it flew off. Ginny smiled. Maybe this year wasn't going to be spent hiding in the shadows of the golden trio.


	5. A Change in Perspective

After Ginny was awoken by the owl and sent her answer, she couldn't fall back asleep.

In fact, she was almost restless. She lay there with her eyes closed, thinking about the incident in the library. He almost kissed her!

Ginny frowned. She'd been kissed loads of times, by Colin and Seamus and Dean and Michael Corner. So why was she obsessing over the-kiss-that-wasn't from Draco Malfoy, of all people?

Maybe it was that he had something about him that was undeniably attractive, Ginny thought vaguely.

Once again, she shook herself from her stupor. Draco Malfoy hadn't even kissed her, and she if she had anything to do with it, he never would. She wasn't going to snog Draco Malfoy, inviting as it was. He was just another scummy Slytherin that she wasn't going to concern herself with.

Triumphant, Ginny fell back asleep.

* * *

"Ginny! Get up or you're going to be late for breakfast." Hermione shook Ginny awake.

Ginny continued to snooze blissfully.

"Ginny!" Irritated, Hermione returned to shaking her with even more fervor. Her efforts were not in vain, as she successfully roused the redhead.

"5 more minutes, 5 more, please." Ginny murmured and rolled over onto her side.

Why was Hermione waking her up? Usually she would be at breakfast with Ron and Harry, thankfully leaving her alone. It seemed she wasn't as lucky today.

Ginny didn't ponder long on that subject, though, for the older girl had thrown off her covers, and walked out of the 6th year dormitory, letting Ginny shiver.

After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to sleep, Ginny rose irritably, smiting Hermione under her breath.

Rifling haphazardly through her dresser, she found a worn but infinitely comfortable pair of blue jeans Bill had brought her. They were faded with age and a little too long, but Ginny loved them. Sifting through another drawer full of shirts, Ginny looked for a nice, clean shirt to wear. _Merlin, I have to do my laundry, _she thought as she viewed the fairly limited selection of freshly washed clothes. Settling on a plain tight brown shirt, Ginny stared at herself critically in the mirror.

Well, her hair seemed to be cooperating this morning, she thought with relief, giving her waves a jaunty bounce with a rising feeling of satisfaction. She applied her moisturizing charm, turned to the side, and sucked in her stomach.

Oh, she was skinny enough, but her chest lacked the endowments she wished for often. Still, she couldn't complain, especially because she was in danger of missing breakfast and she had Double Charms with Flitwick right after.

Throwing on her black Hogwarts robe (finally, _finally_ her mother had agreed to get her a new set of school robes), and pinning her shiny Gryffindor lion badge to the right, Ginny turned on her heel and ran out of the dormitory.

* * *

Ginny was accosted by Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. When she saw Ginny's robe and the bottoms of her jeans, she frowned.

"The Quidditch match is coming up. Why aren't you wearing red to show your support?"

Ginny looked at Hermione in confusion. "Why? I don't even _play _Quidditch."

Hermione suddenly looked sour. "Well, you should still show your support," she said snootily.

Ginny felt even more lost, if that was possible. "For who? Ron knows I support him."

Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation. "For Harry, of course! If you even want to try to get his attention, you have to show that you're interested in him!"

_Aha._ Ginny rolled her eyes at the Head Girl. "Hermione, you know I'm not interested in Harry."

"Oh, yes you are!" Hermione was practically foaming at the mouth. "You had me fooled for a while, you did. But now I can see right through your little…_facade_. You are hopelessly in love with Harry Potter!"

Bloody, bloody hell. Ginny wished the ground would open and swallow her whole. She hadn't fancied Harry since the end of 3rd year, and she had made that perfectly clear to Hermione a year ago. Apparently Hermione refused to let up.

"You are stark, raving mad, you know that?" Ginny said disdainfully to Hermione. Hermione's mouth opened in a combination of shock and anger.

Ginny continued, "I dated 4 boys in the past one year, and yet you still think I like Harry? Let me make this clear to you, as much as you worship and idolize Harry Potter, he remains a good friend to me. If you're that desperate to pair him off, find some other bloody chit to lick his shoes for him. At least then you'll have a companion!"

And she stormed away from the shell-shocked, red-faced Hermione and out of the Common Room, feeling infinitely pleased with herself for doing what she'd planned for years and finally telling Hermione Granger off. It was a joyous day.

* * *

The morning had been unusually hectic. Ginny, who admittedly wasn't a morning person, had found it difficult to concentrate on her schoolwork. She couldn't help but wonder about Malfoy's owl. Why could he possibly want to meet her? Ginny wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.

After Double Charms, which was disastrous because of Ginny's lack of focus that morning, it was time for Defense against the Dark Arts.

She was walking toward the classroom, which was conveniently _all the way_ across the castle from the Charms classroom, when suddenly 2mysterious hans grabbed her arm and yanked her into the shadows behind a large square column. It all happened so quickly Ginny had barely any time to scream.

She whirled on her attackers, her hand going to her robes to grab her wand, but stopped abruptly when she saw who they were.

Her friends faces smirked at her in apparent amusement at her panic.

"Well," Christina Gold, also referred to as Chris, commented. "Someone's a tad jumpy today." Colin Creevey, who stood at her side, grinned.

Ginny stared at her best friends in obvious bewilderment. "Was there any need to jump me in the middle of a deserted hallway, or could this have been done a little less stalkerishly?" she demanded.

Chris grinned, blue eyes sparkling, and swished her straight brown hair around a little before replying. "Well, seeing as it was a bit of an emergency, we took liberties," she explained.

Colin rolled his eyes. "Because losing your favorite pair of shoes definitely qualifies as an 'emergency," he said sarcastically.

Ginny's eyes immediately became the size of saucers. "The gold satiny ones?" she asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

"Yes," Chris replied, in equal distress, while Colin adjoined in a mocking falsetto, "And they were so expensive, too!"

The two girls shot him identical venomous looks, and took off down the hallway toward the Gryffindor dorms. The tall boy sauntered down the hallway after them. Girls were very confusing creatures.

* * *

Nearly 3 hours later, after overturning every piece of furniture in the room (magically, of course), completely emptying Chris's overflowing closet, and scouring the contents under the bed, the precious shoes had been found and returned to their secure place on Chris's shoe rack. They were equally dear to Ginny too, because she had rights to borrow them at any time she wanted.

Colin, who had had little to do with the rescue of the shoes, sat leisurely in one of Ginny's chairs and flipped through a fashion magazine, looking appreciatively at the swimsuit models winking and blowing kisses at him.

When the room had returned to order and was passably clean once again, Colin spoke.

"You guys have been at this for more than 3 hours. Missed lunch, too," he said dolefully. Colin loved food.

Ginny's stomach flipped over. If she had missed lunch by nearly an hour and a half, that could only mean one thing: she had stood Malfoy up at the library.

_Oh, shit._


	6. Inner Turmoil is a Bitch

I, Kavya,credit this entire chapter to Van Morrison for Brown Eyed Girl on repeat and coffee.

And Lindsay, who is a very intelligent gentleman P, credits it to something, but I don't know what.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was brooding. The She-Weasel had the gall to leave him waiting at the library, did she? It was an insult, an outrage, really, and Draco was predictably annoyed.

He was alone in the common room for once. When his fellow Slytherins had seen his silent rage, they'd made feeble excuses and departed immediately, leaving him to his thoughts. He wondered where Blaise and Pansy were. They were, at the very least, his friends, and he could use some amusement right now.

Suddenly feeling somewhat weary, Draco sat down. Was preparation for the NEWTS taking its toll on him? He ran his fingers over the expensive cashmere material of the sofa and his thoughts wandered back to earlier that day.

* * *

**At Breakfast**

Draco looked up as the owls flew in during breakfast. Mail time had come. Quickly spotting his eagle owl, he let out a low whistle, and the highly trained own flew to him at once and perched on his shoulder.

"What do you have for me today, Medea?" he asked soothingly as he stroked her feathers and reached for an owl treat in his pocket. The owl obediently dropped the note onto the table, and Draco reached for it with interest.

_Weasel-_

_Meet me today. Same place, same time._

_-DM_

Underneath his initials Weasley had left her answer:

_Insufferable Git-_

_Sure, just as long as you don't call me Weasel._

_-GRW_

It appeared that Weasley Junior had claws. Draco smirked and looked over at the Gryffindor table.

Weasley, completely oblivious to Draco's observation of her, was shamelessly ogling one of those Ravenclaw boys in his year. Terry Boot, or something.

Draco unconsciously narrowed his eyes, and almost as if Ginny sensed him watching her, her eyes flicked to him.

Their eyes met. Draco surreptitiously waved the letter in his hand, indicating he had received it. Weaslette seemed to flush a little, and stuck her chin in the air, an open gesture of dismissal.

With a toss of her red hair, she broke eye contact and started an energetic conversation with Seamus Finnigan, who Draco fondly referred to as The Irish Git.

Draco scowled at Ginny's profile. He'd never been spurned by a Weasley, and that definitely wouldn't start now. He'd have to include that in their library confrontation, for future reference.

* * *

**Slytherin Common Room, Present**

Blaise Zabini, also referred to as the man slut of Slytherin, strolled into the Common Room as if he owned the world.

"Look who got lucky," came Draco's snide retort from the corner of the room.

Blaise smirked at his friend and strode over to where he was sitting. "What, are you jealous? Sexual frustration can be just that, you know." '

"Enjoy your shag?" Draco returned acidly. Blaise was his best friend, and all that, but honestly. What a prick.

"I rather did, actually," Blaise answered truthfully. He paused, then leered, shaking his light brown hair out of his face. "Pansy can be an absolute wildcat in the bed, let me tell y-"

Draco cut off Blaise's explanation with a frantic wave of his hand. "Zabini. Not the time. Maybe later."

Blaise looked annoyed with not being able to share details with his best friend, but consented.

Suddenly, Blaise's green eyes lit up.

"This is about a girl, isn't it?"

Well there was no reason to sound positively tickled about it, Draco thought sourly.

"What if it is?" He challenged, trying to intimidate his friend. Blaise just looked more amused. Damn. It never worked with him.

"Then I'd laugh at you, call you a sorry ponce, and ask for details. Tell, tell."

Draco tried to look unaffected, and failed. "You'd laugh," he said sullenly.

"Me?" Blaise sounded injured. "I would never do such a thing. Me, your best friend? The one who rescued you from Millicent at the Yule Ball? Me, who Portkeyed you into that strip club, Sextravaganza? Me, who rescued you from McGonagall when she caught you hexing Potter?"

Draco groaned. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

Blaise brightened suddenly. "But it's my specialty," he said, sounded decidedly jovial for all Draco's petulance. "You glower and intimidate, I seduce and beseech. We both smirk, though. It's the Slytherin way," he said smugly, smirking even as he did so.

The portrait door swung open, and a decidedly mussed Pansy Parkinson entered, looking rather self-satisfied. Draco tried very hard not to direct his eyes heavenward, lest they get stuck that way, and spoke in a sneering drawl, "So you actually thought the coming at different times to cover your tracks would work?"

Pansy snickered. "Oh, come off it, Malfoy," she said laughingly. "Most of the Slytherins in here are too thick to comprehend the idea, let alone see right through it. Anyway, it's not you we're covering up for."

Draco understood. Pansy had been betrothed since birth to Marius Rookwood, Death Eater Extraordinaire Augustus Rookwood's spawn. Marius, one year their senior, was a tolerable character himself. He was somewhat dashing looking, or at least that's what Millicent Bulstrode said (and Draco had been _so sure_ she fancied girls), and he was one of the less git-ty Slytherins, Draco decided charitably.

But Marius was also an incorrigible womanizer, lacked anything substantial in the brains department, and had approximately the presence of mind of a salad fork.

Pansy wasn't keen on marrying him, but she wasn't one to openly disobey her parents. She had just decided early on that she would shag bloody well anyone she liked before the marriage and had worked through approximately ½ the males in 7th year and a dozen odd chaps in 6th year too. She was currently seeing Blaise, and from the flirtatious looks they were throwing each other at the moment, it seemed to be getting serious.

Pansy, after blowing a kiss to Blaise, flounced up to the 7th year dormitories. Draco sighed with relief. Maybe Blaise had forgotten their previous conversation.

However, Blaise was not easily deterred, and he latched on to Draco once more.

"You might as well just tell me," he reasoned sensibly. "Otherwise I'm going to find out by tormenting some other student, and then I'll just taunt you even more mercilessly than I had originally planned." Draco disagreed internally. At least then he would have the satisfaction of knowing Blaise had tormented someone other than him as well.

Slumping low in his seat, Draco buried his silver head in his hands, buried himself in the pricey black and green pillows and mumbled something.

"What?" Blaise sat up straight now, aware that he had hit upon something of interest.

"Mphfsly." It didn't appear that Draco was making much of an effort to be coherent.

"Whattttt?" Blaise probed inquisitively.

"Weasley!" Draco looked a frightening combination of furious and hysterical.

"What about him?" This was definitely not what Blaise had expected, and now that he knew what was causing Draco's irritability, he didn't know how to go about asking Draco to elaborate.

"Not, him, her," came the pained voice under the mountain of cushions.

"There's a her Weasley?" This was a new discovery to Blaise. "I thought they were all blokes. Is she hot?"

A pillow came flying airborne towards him, hitting him squarely in the face.

"Well, then, I got my answer, didn't I?" Blaise heckled annoyingly. "What about the supposedly sexy Weaslette?"

"She's bloody driving me mad, that's what!" Draco snapped, finally reaching the end of his tether. "She's been playing hot and cold the past couple of days, and you're asking the most obvious, inane questions!"

"Well," Blaise said reasonably, "how should I know?"

Draco fell back onto the very comfortable couch in exasperation. "Argh."

Blaise stood and stretched "Just snog her or something," Blaise said, as if the answer was perfectly obvious.

Draco sneered at him. "Yes, I could do that, but I like to think I have more morals than you, seeing as you have virtually none," he countered rudely.

The other boy thumped Draco on the shoulder. "You'll figure it out." With those words, he gracefully jogged up the stairs leading to the 7th Years' dormitory.

Draco glared at his back. "Thanks so much," he called sarcastically behind his retreating friend. That had served to do nothing but anger Draco more.

Draco stood and headed for the portrait. He was going to find that ruddy Weasel, and when he did, he'd be having a few words with her.

* * *

Ginny's thoughts had progressed remarkably over the past few minutes.

She'd gone from 'Ohfuckdamnitwanker!' to 'Well, who said I have to sodding _obey_ a Malfoy, anyway?' to 'oh damn he's going to kill me and dispose of my remains in various places around the castle,' to 'Well, bloody, bloody, hell. I think I missed an excellent opportunity for a free snog.'

The last thought had flowed unbidden into her mind, and she willed it away. She was _not_ going to think about that now.

Chris tapped Ginny on the shoulder. "What's going on? You look like you're about to vomit," she said gracefully. "I mean, I don't necessarily have a problem, but Colin over there has a delicate stomach, and I mean, one is enough, but two puke marks to charm away? Can you imagine?" She asked, enjoying the disgusted expressions on the faces of Ginny, Colin, Jared, and Anna.

Ginny's other friend, Anna Pike smacked Chris not-so-lightly on the shoulder. "God, Chris," Anna admonished. "I don't think everyone needs a play-by-play on Ginny's potential vomiting, and Colin's subsequent hurl."

Chris rolled her eyes but assented grudgingly. "Well, I just thought you'd want to know," she began defensively, but Anna interrupted. "Well, you know, I think we're speaking for all of us," she said, narrowing her hazel eyes at Chris and tossing brown curls, "when I say we don't." She resumed French-braiding Ginny's hair solemnly.

Ginny's eyes wandered around the room, resting momentarily on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They flew back immediately when she noticed they were all staring with something akin to annoyance in their eyes at Ginny's large group of friends nestled in front of the fire.

Ginny averted her eyes so it wouldn't seem like she had seen them staring, and then alerted Jared and Colin of the matter.

"Why are they staring at me," she demanded apprehensively.

"I would know because?" Jared's insolent voice returned.

"It looks like they're taking notes," Colin observed quietly. Ginny whipped her head around to look at him. "Stop moving!" Anna screeched, and Ginny obediently assumed a straight position again.

"They taking notes!" she asked out of the corner of her mouth. Jared nodded, noticing as well. "Yes, and they haven't taken they eyes off you in the past few minutes except once to compare notes."

"Go over there," Ginny instructed firmly.

"What!" Their protests were simultaneous.

"Just go over and see what they're writing," Ginny pleaded. "I need to know."

"What are we supposed to do?" Colin hissed quietly.

"Go pretend you're looking for a book!" Ginny said, indicating the bookcase that was merely a foot or so away from the Dream Team. "Please?"

The two males looked at each other and nodded reluctantly. "Fine," Jared said, "we will."

"But you owe us one," Colin added. Ginny nodded. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Colin and Jared were actually rather convincing, Ginny had to admit, as she watched them point to the bookshelf from their seats, stand, and sidle over to the large selection of books. They walked pointedly past the three 7th years, who barely acknowledged their presence and peered over their shoulders, just missing being caught by them.

Colin pulled a random book from the bookcase and the two boys came back to where the three girls were sitting, waiting.

"What was it about?" Ginny asked as soon as they sat down.

Jared answered, "It mentioned something about the legacy of the Septine, and how it had to be fulfilled according to the specification on some scroll," he said, clearly not understanding it at all.

Ginny frowned. What did that mean?

"It also mentioned some Order," Colin said doubtfully. "Couldn't get the whole name though, Ron's elbow was covering it."

"The Order of the Phoenix!" Ginny proclaimed excitedly. Finally, it was something she understood. "What about it?"

"I don't know," Colin said regretfully. "There was something about the Septine there too, though," he said decidedly, "and how it had to be inducted by the eve of its 17th moon."

Ginny's shoulders slumped. She had hit a dead end.

"There were a few books around them, too," Jared mused out loud. "Ancient Wizarding Leagues and Organizations, Facts on Familial Curses and Legacies, and Galleus Gilbridge's Guide to Getting Girls."

Chris snorted, and Anna couldn't restrain a chortle.

"That's Ron's," Ginny explained, dismissing it. "But I reckon Harry's been using it too, lately. I heard Parvati and Lavender saying he needed some help in that department."

"You could help him, Ginny," Jared suggested, waggling his eyebrows at her. Ginny grinned at him. "Very funny. But don't you think these little 'taunt Ginny about her famous crush on Harry Potter' are a little played out?"

"They could never be," Jared proclaimed dramatically. "They're too memorable."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend. "But you know I don't like him, right?" she asked him.

"Yes, well, I know that," Jared said. "But a lot of blokes still think you're nutters for him."

"Finnigan said that you wrote him poetry, signed them 'Seductive Sorceress', and sent them to him by school owl," Colin added helpfully.

Ginny snorted. "Me? Righttt. That was Hannah Abbot. Caught her in the act, myself. I'm surprised she still does it," she said thoughtfully. "But I guess some people are incorrigible."

"People like Malfoy?" Chris asked suddenly. Ginny froze. "Sure, he doesn't spend as much time taunting innocent Gryffs, too busy shagging his Slytherin harlots for that, but he can still be found going out of his way to torture firsties. Talk about incorrigible."

Ginny tried to even her breathing and wondered if her friends had noticed her sudden lapse of composure. If they had, they said nothing, and Ginny relaxed externally, but her thoughts had just been thrown into turmoil. She would be lying if she said she hadn't considered thought about Malfoy, but her friends reactions were enough to make her shudder. Nothing would shock them more than that, except perhaps if she told them that she was pregnant by Albus Dumbledore and Snape was the godfather.

Oh, gross. She wished fervently that she hadn't allowed that visual to plant itself in her head, and refocused on the conversation. Mercifully, her friends' conversation seemed to have taken a different turn.

"See," Anna was explaining patiently to the rest of the group, "it would be fine if she stopped following him around like a dog, but she doesn't have any _pride._"She shrugged flippantly. "I mean, of course he's not going to consider it, because he's a Slytherin. But If she insists on being some ruddy _sycophant, _she should do it somewhere where I don't have the misfortune of having to see her!"

Anna was referring to her sister, Kelsie, who was a 5th year and ridiculously obsessed with Blaise Zabini. Kelsie Pike was pretty enough, Ginny thought idly. All the Pike girls were, though they looked little alike. There were four of them, Eva, Anna, Kelsie, and Skylar.

Anna and Kelsie, the second and third siblings respectively, were as different as night and day. Their coloring was vastly different, and where Anna had fair brown hair and eyes, Kelsie had deep brown locks with hazel eyes. If closely observed, one could discern a slight resemblance between them, but upon immediate sight, they were very different.

The two sisters were also dissimilar in more than looks. Where Anna was shy, quiet around strangers, and slightly uptight, Kelsie was outgoing. Despite this, Ginny and Kelsie had never quite gotten along. Kelsie was, undoubtedly, very malevolent if crossed, and also a little too manipulative for Ginny's tastes. She still tolerated Kelsie though, for Anna's sake.

Anna, however, was irritated by Kelsie more often than not. Ginny zoned back into the conversation in time to hear Anna's annoyed outburst. "It's embarrassing!" she was exclaiming, flailing, and coming ridiculously close to sticking her hand up Colin's nose. "She's my sister, and she's throwing herself at him like a harlot! She has absolutely no House Pride!" The words 'House Pride', Ginny thought privately, deserved capitalization because of the fervor with which Anna used them.

The males in their group had evidently tired of the discussion about the latest Sports Illustrated Wizarding Swimsuit edition, and announced that they were going to go practice on the Quidditch pitch. Pretending not to hear Ginny's warnings that it was almost dinner, they fled at a somewhat ridiculously fast rate.

Chris was replying to Anna's rant calmly. "Come on, Anna," she said, loyally defending her housemate. "She's not bothering you, so why should go make a fuss about it?" Ginny privately thought Chris was being very reasonable, but Anna didn't agree. Her normally soft brown eyes flashed indignantly, and she tossed her head, causing a few curls to escape from the confines of her ponytail.

"She _is_ bothering me!" Anna insisted vehemently. "And its none of your business, Chris, so you can just," she hesitated, choosing her words carefully, "piss off!"

Chris recoiled, and then flushed with anger. "Well fine. You can complain about all you bloody want, you vicious little harpy!" She stood quickly and stalked off in the general direction of the dorms.

Anna rose just as fast and marched in the opposite direction, toward the portrait door. She shoved it open, ignoring the protests of the Fat Lady, and disappeared.

It had all happened so fast, Ginny thought, bewildered. She looked in the both the directions her friends had departed. Ginny decided, for the sake of her own sanity, that she was going to stay out of this one.

Great. Along with these major mixed signals Ginny was getting from Malfoy, her two best friends were fighting over something as inane as Kelsie Pike and Blaise Zabini, and she hadn't even begun her seven-parchment-long potions assignment that was due, oh yes, _the day after tomorrow. _

Sighing, Ginny stood and got ready for dinner.

* * *

We didn't want to give too much away because that would require too much thought for the next chapter. And we think you guys have waited long enough. lovable grins

next chapter will be out soon! well, we haven't started it yet, but one can only hope.


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